mr.rpm

Hello- Hoping someone can be of assistance. I have recently purchased a 190E 2.5-16 EVO II with only 2,800 km. The car is in fantastic condition, certainly one of the very finest remaining examples. My problem is the dust cover boots and bump stops for the rear shock absorbers have deteriorated. The shocks seem to be operating fine. Does anyone know where I can purchase these? Or if not available something extremely similar that I can substitute? Or 2 correct replacement rear shocks? Thank you in advance!

dolucasi

Congratulations! I'll have to ask for an obligatory photo of the specimen.

The parts you are looking for are universal for all models of the era (201/124/129/etc). OE maker was Sachs I believe and may not be available but here is a replacement:

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/mer...ve-1293230192k

We do not know where you are located but I'm sure where ever you are you can source these.
You can also go to your dealership and they may have OE parts but it will be 3-4x the price. At a minimum you can get the part numbers for parts you need before you do a search online.
If Mercedes sources the parts, I just but them there, less hassle, perfect fit. Also for a low mileage classic like yours there is value in keeping the entire car OE.

If you are not near a dealership, you can also call the classic center in California or Germany and they can help you

- Cheers!

mr.rpm

Thank you dolucasi. Yes what you pictured is exactly what I need however I need these for the rear, it seems the link you sent is for the front. I went to the site of fcpeuro and they do not offer for the rear from what I can see. From my research there is not a Mercedes part number for these 2 items they are only included with the entire rear shock absorber which from what I can see is no longer available. Am I misunderstanding or do you have any other ideas? I am actually a Porsche expert and do not have much experience on locating classic Mercedes parts. I will contact the MB Classic center as well to see what they have to say. Thank you for trying to help me.

mr.rpm

dolucasi

Nice. Yes you can check with the classic center. The standard W201's do not have a bump stop for the rears as far as I know but yours is probably an SLS. Probably an entirely different animal.
Definitely check with dealership and classic center for this.

190Efan

Wow! Congrats on your amazing purchase! You now own an incredibly rare and extremely valuable car that's one of the rarest and most valuable cars MB ever built. . Any parts you replace need to be OEM because your car is so rare and valuable. I do know that the EVO IIs do have an SLS because I've seen the EVO II SLS in operation during the Gooding auction I went to. As Dolucassi mentioned, the SLS is a different animal from the suspension that more mortal W201s are equipped with so I think guidance from the MB Classic Center on the SLS will be a must to keep it working properly. Your car is now the lowest mileage EVO II that I'm aware of and it might be the lowest mileage EVO II in the world. You most definitely need to have the MB Classic Center guide you on any and all maintenance for your car. They know the W201 cars really well. They've helped my with my more mortal W201 8v many times with parts and advise. They're a great resource that I urge you to utilize. Your car's value is in its rarity and its ultra low mileage. To maintain your car's value, you're going to need to baby your new purchase like a real new born baby.
Just some additional info for you, a 3,300 mile EVO II sold at a Sotheby's auction in Las Vegas last fall for $544,000. In 2020, I personally watched a 4,700 mile EVO II sell at a Gooding auction during Arizona auction week for $435,000. I briefly got to meet the new owner of this particular EVO II and he told me that he'd also bought a regular non EVO 2.3-16v in addition to the EVO II. My hunch is that he's likely driving the non EVO 2.3-16v while he waves to the EVO II. You might want to think about doing the same. Just my 2 cents.
Please visit our W201 section of this forum early and often. I'm sure members will love reading about your car. I know I certainly will. BTW, your pictures of your car are great. Don't hesitate to write if you have any more questions about your car. We'll do our best to help you.

mr.rpm

Thank you 190Efan for your kind response. Yes I will be in contact with the Classic center. Can you recommend a particular person at MB Classic that would be the best person to contact for this car ? I am actually a large classic Porsche collector and have great experience with that but this is a whole new world! I am looking forward to it!

190Efan

You're welcome. Ask for Jon Siggson at the MB Classic Center.

mr.rpm

Thank you 190Efan !

190Efan

You're most welcome. Please keep us posted on your car. We're more than glad to help in any way we can. It's not every day this forum section gets to help an EVO II owner and an EVO II owner with likely the lowest mileage EVO II in the world. This has been a real treat.

Nik Fisher

Interested in your progress with the sls system as i’m recommissioning a 2.5 currently and have issues with the sls system, i’m thinking about replacing with a good quality standard suspension if i cant make progress, not an option for yourself i dont think as it would effect the value too much.

190Efan

You're correct. You never want to use aftermarket parts on an EVO II due to their enormous and ever increasing value. For your own SLS system, check with the MB Classic Center. I know that the SLS system in general is now NLA so it's now about refurbishing what you already have.